


Bending, Unexpectedly

by mitslits



Category: Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: Beast!Harry, Beauty and the Beast AU, M/M, belle!eggsy, gaston!charlie, happy ever after, mix of the original and 2017 remake
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-01
Updated: 2017-10-01
Packaged: 2018-12-27 17:17:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12085653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mitslits/pseuds/mitslits
Summary: All his life, Eggsy has known nothing more than his quiet village. When his father mysteriously disappears, it is up to Eggsy to find him. What he finds instead is a world full of creatures and magic the likes of which he has never dared to imagine.





	Bending, Unexpectedly

**Author's Note:**

> So, I saw the 2017 remake and thought "Wow, these are some neat concepts. Too bad Disney ruined them!" and I thought I'd fix it by adding Hartwin. 
> 
> Hartwin makes everything better.
> 
> Also many, many thanks to my lovely beta elletromil!

Long ago, there was a great king, Harry Hart by name, and a proud king he was. He accepted only the best inside his castle; anything less was discarded, disallowed inside its walls. Fair lords and ladies roamed its corridors, marveling at the beauties King Hart had collected. 

He had works of art from foreign lands, the likes of which many of his visitors had never seen before. The finest musicians played the most expensive instruments money could buy. Life was a fairytale inside the castle. 

The king played a gracious host, holding parties aplenty to show off his riches. The nobles of the land were always well-cheered by an invitation to the castle. Word of the king’s magnificent parties had spread throughout the kingdom, and all desired to attend. 

It was at one such event that a common woman appeared. Outside raged a dark and terrible storm, but inside all was warm and dry. The woman asked for shelter and offered the king a single rose in return. 

Insulted by her appearance as much as her payment, the king scornfully turned her away. 

She warned him that appearances could be deceiving, and that beauty lay within. 

Yet the king refused her again. He had no use for things that were only beautiful on the inside.

Only then did the woman throw aside her cloak to reveal her true form, that of a powerful Enchantress. 

The king begged for forgiveness, but it was too late. The Enchantress had seen the inside of his heart and found it lacking. A terrible curse fell upon the king, and the people of the castle suffered with him. 

The rose the Enchantress had offered was itself enchanted, as she told the king. If he could not learn to love and be loved in return by the time the last petal fell, then he would remain cursed for the rest of his days. 

Time went on without the king. His people forgot him, and the castle fell into ruin and disrepair. 

The king, form now that of a monstrous beast, remained locked away inside. Surely no one could ever love him as he was. Resigned to his fate, he grew more and more despondent until he had truly lost all hope. A beast he was, and a beast he would remain. 

~

The day was just as any other in Eggsy’s little village. The baker swept by, tray held aloft as he called out a greeting. 

Eggsy returned it with a small smile and a coin for a loaf. He passed the same tableau as always, men and women going about their business at the market, boys and girls scrambling through the streets. 

“Hey, Eggsy!” Two young men about his own age hailed him from the small tavern. 

Eggsy wandered over to their table with a smile playing about his lips. “Jamal. Ryan. Getting an early start on it, aren’t you?” he teased. 

Jamal raised his tankard. “Always do, mate.” 

“Join us,” Ryan offered. He pulled out the chair beside him and patted the seat. 

“Can’t, I’m afraid,” Eggsy said with a slight shrug of apology. “I’ve got a book due.” 

Jamal rolled his eyes, but he was laughing. “That’s our Eggsy, always with his nose in a book! You’ll be the only one of us to make it out of here, mate, swear down.” 

Eggsy shook his head, smiling. “Maybe someday. I’ll see you two later.” 

Their words of farewell rang in his ears as he turned away. Eggsy went along to the library, browsing through the market stalls as he walked. He always kept an eye out for little trinkets that might interest his father. He arrived at the library with a heavier bag and a lighter purse, having found a few objects to pique his interest. 

The librarian, a kindly old man who always looked like he knew more than he was letting on, greeted Eggsy warmly. “Back again so soon?” 

Eggsy grinned and drummed his fingers on the book’s cover. “This was a good one. Got any new ones in?” 

“Not for a few weeks now,” the librarian sighed. He took the volume Eggsy was returning and returned it to its place on the shelves. 

Shrugging good-naturedly, Eggsy wandered among the familiar titles. “That’s alright. I’ll just have to reread an old favorite then.” 

It wasn’t long before Eggsy bid the place a fond farewell, a classic tucked under his arm. He’d just rejoined the flow of the street when a hand seized his wrist.  

“Thank heavens I’ve found you, Eggsy,” a young woman said. Her hair was swept back into a sensible bun, and her rolled sleeves suggested she had been hard at her work. 

“Good morning, Roxy,” Eggsy said. “Is something wrong?” 

Roxy nodded. She used her grip on Eggsy’s wrist to drag him through the marketplace. “It’s Bluebell,” she explained as they walked. “She won’t eat. Ma’s tried sweetening the grass with honey and everything, but she refuses it all. We need her milk, Eggsy. Dad’s half-frantic.” 

“I’ll see what I can do,” Eggsy promised. He kept pace with her even after she’d released him, already trying to puzzle out what could be wrong with the Morton’s cow. 

The answer became immediately apparent as Roxy prised open Bluebell’s jaw, and Eggsy had a look inside. 

“No need to worry,” Eggsy said. “She’s just got a bad tooth is all. Bluebell should be right as rain as soon as we have it out. Got any pliers?” 

It took Roxy only a moment to fetch them. She obediently held the cow’s jaw open as Eggsy settled them around the tooth. 

“It’s alright, Bluebell,” Eggsy said soothingly as he gave the tooth an experimental tug. “You’ll feel much better once this is out, I promise.” He clamped the pliers firmly around the offending tooth and tugged mightily. With a resounding crack, and a confused moo, the tooth came right out. 

Black and rotted, Eggsy and Roxy examined it with sympathetic winces. 

“No wonder the old girl was having trouble eating,” Eggsy said. 

Even as he spoke, the cow dipped her head and began nosing at the grass. 

Roxy sighed in relief. “You’re a lifesaver, Eggsy.” 

Eggsy shook his head as he ran his hand along Bluebell’s side. “I’m not as much as all that.” 

Roxy watched him scratch around Bluebell’s ears, the cow lowing pleasantly as she chewed her cud. “Well, maybe not,” she conceded. “But you do have a way with them, don’t you? Beasts.” 

Eggsy paused his scratching to toss Roxy a smile. “Yeah,” he said. “I guess I do.” 

~

Eggsy rested his arm along the windowsill, gazing out at the rolling hills stretching as far as he could see. Jamal’s earlier assertion echoed in his mind. 

_ “You’ll be the only one of us to make out of here, mate.” _

It was a nice thought, but one Eggsy didn’t allow himself to entertain very often. It only served to make his heart hurt. What might he see outside the bounds of this small town? His imagination ran wild with thoughts of the people he might meet, the foods he might taste, the music he might hear. The things he might accomplish. 

The rattle of the doorknob jerked Eggsy from his thoughts. His father tumbled into the room, appearance as wild and unruly as ever. Remnants of some invention or other spilled out of his arms and onto the floor. 

“Damn and blast this horrid- Oh! Eggsy! I didn’t see you there. Be a good lad and help me with this mess, eh?” 

Pressing his lips together to hide a smile, Eggsy hurried to his father’s side. He took some of the debris from him, but closer inspection brought no clarity. “Forgive me, papa, but… what  _ was _ this?” 

Lee dumped the lot in the fireplace, huffing. “It was supposed to help me load potatoes into the farmers’ carts. Instead, I’m afraid it-” He broke off with a grimace. “Well, I’m afraid it began tossing potatoes about rather indiscriminately. One of them struck poor Madame LeFevre in the head.” 

Eggsy pressed his hand to his mouth in an unsuccessful attempt to stifle his mirth. His father had a bit of a reputation amongst the villagers for being something of an oddity, but neither of the Unwins could really deny it. 

Not that Eggsy minded. He loved his father just as he was, quirks and all. 

“Not going to try and fix this one, then?” he asked as Lee continued to shove pieces into the fireplace. 

“Of course not,” Lee grumbled. “Can you imagine the look on Madame LeFevre’s face if I rolled something like this out again?” He affected an expression of mixed horror and distaste. “Monsieur  _ Unwin _ ,” he breathed in falsetto. “Don’t tell me you’ve kept that infernal contraption! No,” he said, reverting to his normal register, “best to move onto bigger, better things.” 

“Or perhaps just better,” Eggsy said with a meaningful glance at the pieces spilling from the hearth onto the floor. 

Lee clapped a hand on his son’s shoulder. “Right you are! And now, I’m afraid, I should be off. My  _ working _ inventions won’t sell themselves, after all, and I was supposed to be gone hours ago. What would you like from the salesyard, Eggsy? Anything you want, a man only turns eighteen once.” 

Eggsy smiled brightly up at his father. “You already know what I want.” 

“But surely I could get you more than just a rose,” Lee insisted. “There must be something more you desire.” 

A series of images flashed through Eggsy’s head, sprawling pastures, open oceans, crowded theaters and dining halls… “A rose will more than satisfy me, papa.” 

Lee’s face softened. “A rose it shall be, then.” He shouldered the pack he’d had ready by the door and accepted the loaf of bread Eggsy pressed upon him. He hooked his cart full of inventions to Philippe's harness, murmuring to the horse all the while. “Now then, Philippe, are you ready for another adventure?” 

Then, with a nod and a jaunty wave to Eggsy, Lee was off. 

Eggsy watched him until Philippe and the cart passed out of sight. Taking advantage of his solitude, he climbed to the top of the highest hill in the area, letting the wind comb soft fingers through his hair. He stared out at the distant mountains and longed to know what was beyond them. 

“Someday,” he said, a whispered promise to himself. “Someday, I’ll know.” 

~

The next morning greeted Eggsy with an unpleasant surprise. 

When he opened his door, he was faced with the last person in the world he wanted to see waiting at his gate. He considered retreating back into the house, but Charlie had already spotted him. Besides, the chickens needed to be fed. 

“Gary!” Charlie called out jovially. “Wonderful morning, isn’t it?” 

Eggsy pasted a pained smile onto his face. No one he liked ever called him Gary. “It’s alright.” He stuck as close to his front door as he could, practically inviting the chickens inside as he scattered feed on the doorstep. 

“Where’s Lee? Off on another one of his attempts to sell those failed ‘inventions’ of his?” Charlie leaned on a fencepost, fixing Eggsy with such an exaggerated look of pity that his false smile evaporated. 

“They’re real inventions.” Eggsy didn’t even glance in Charlie’s direction as he knelt to check the vegetables in the garden. 

Charlie spread his hands in supplication. “Of  _ course _ they are.” He rattled the gate and glared at it as if it was a personal offense that it remained locked. “I only meant… Well, he’s not very successful, is he? You’ll never be rich, not if you stay with him.” 

Eggsy’s head whipped up. He opened his mouth, fully intent on saying that he couldn’t give a rat’s tail how much money they had, but the words got stuck in his throat as Charlie leaped the fence. 

Leaving the root vegetables to their own devices, Eggsy took a few steps back toward his house. 

“Don’t play coy, Gary,” Charlie said as he noted his retreat. “You know as well as I do that the two of just make sense.” He kept advancing, and Eggsy kept retreating. “After all, I’m the most handsome man in this village, and you’re the most beautiful, man or woman.” 

By then, Eggsy’s back was pressed against his front door. He could feel the knob digging into his spine, and he groped for it behind his back. “I’m not interested, Charlie,” Eggsy said. “I never have been.” His fingers closed around the knob. “And I never will be.” He slipped inside quick as a flash and slammed the door on Charlie’s next words. 

Charlie stared stunned at the unyielding wood before him. “You’ll come around,” he said, loudly enough for Eggsy to hear him. “He’ll come around,” he assured himself quietly as he turned and made his way out of the Unwin’s garden. 

“Not likely,” Eggsy muttered, already busying himself with the housework. 

~

Night was closing in on Lee Unwin, but he was not unduly worried. Philippe was a courageous traveling companion, and they’d been this way many a time over the years. The trees loomed close around them, wind howling through the branches above them with an unsettling wail. 

A sense of doubt began to creep over Lee when he realized the encroaching darkness was not evening after all, but nefarious storm clouds. “Come, Philippe,” he said, urging the horse into a trot. “There might be a place to shelter just around the corner.” 

Just then, lightning struck. Philippe reared as the tree directly in front of them cracked and toppled to the forest floor below. At the same moment, the skies opened up, drenching them in downpour. 

Lee fought to regain control of the reins. “It’s alright, we’re alright!” He spotted another trail off to the right and wondered briefly how he could have missed it before. “This way, Philippe.” 

Obediently, the horse started down the path to the right. 

The further they traveled, the colder the air seemed to become. Lee pulled his cloak around him. He was already soaked to the skin, and it just wouldn’t do to get hypothermia in July. 

The chill wasn’t the only odd thing about the trail, Lee soon realized. The air seemed unnaturally still, somehow suspended in time. Birds didn’t sing. Insects didn’t trill. There was no sound except the pattering of rain on the leaves above and the ground below. Until the wolves started howling. 

Fear well and truly gripped Lee’s heart then. He was not skilled with any weapon, and indeed he had not even thought to bring one along. Perhaps it would not have been a terrible idea to have brought his potato launcher. “Go, Philippe!” he cried, his urgency traveling through the reins. “Run!” 

With a terrified whinny, the horse obeyed. Yet he could not escape a pack of hunting wolves, not whilst dragging a cart behind him. 

It was a choice that was no choice at all. Lee brought Philippe to a halt even as fur flashed through the trees beside them. Hurriedly, Lee undid the straps of the harness.

Baleful eyes gleamed from the darkness. The wolves crept forward, growls rumbling low in their throats, teeth bared, and jaws slick with anticipation. 

As soon as Philippe was free of the cart, Lee sprang onto his back. “Go!” he shouted, but the horse needed no urging. 

Philippe’s hooves left the ground not a moment before a wolf’s jaws snapped shut where they had just been standing. 

And then the chase was truly on. Lee leaned low over Philippe’s neck as the wolves closed in behind them. Their snarls filled the air in an unnerving cacophony, and Lee found himself whispering prayers he hadn’t used in years. 

Salvation came in the form of a twisted metal gate. Lee could not think where they were, but he did not hesitate to pass through it. An angry property owner would be far better to deal with than a pack of ravenous wolves. 

The wolves did not follow them through the gate, stopping just outside the doors and letting out mournful howls at the loss of their prey. 

Lee sagged in relief as they left the pack behind. He slowed Philippe to a half-trot, only then getting a good look at their surroundings. 

An enormous castle loomed before him, gargoyles lurking on every parapet. A snow-dusted hedge maze sprawled off to one side; the grounds stretched further than he could see. But the most welcome sight was a trough of water set right in the shadow of the castle stairs. 

Lee dismounted gracefully and led Philippe to it. “There now, drink your fill. You’ve saved both our lives.” He patted Philippe’s sturdy neck. “I’ll just go say a quick hello to our unwitting host.” He grimaced down at his sopping clothes and added, “And perhaps dry off a bit.” 

Lee started up the stairs. He tried in vain to think of who might live there. Surely, the villagers must know him. The castle was mere miles away. How could they not know this place? 

Yet nothing seemed familiar as Lee reached the forbidding front doors. Iron lanterns sputtered to life on either side, seemingly on their own. Lee’s natural curiosity drew him towards them, but the creaking of the door as it swung open distracted him. “Oh, hello,” he said to the servant he figured must be on the other side. “I’m terribly sorry to bother you, it’s just that my horse and I ran into a bit of-” The rest of the explanation died on his lips as he realized he was speaking to an empty room. 

Baffled, Lee looked back at the heavy doors. How could they possibly have opened of their own accord? 

“Hello?” he repeated as he moved further into the seemingly empty castle. “Is there anyone there?” 

A slight thump came from a room off to his left. 

Cautiously, Lee pushed the door open. A massive dining room table stretched before him, a fire crackling merrily of to one side. The mere sight of it brightened Lee, and he hurried forward to take advantage of its warmth. Steam rose from his clothes as they dried, and the bone-deep chill slowly leached from his bones. 

When Lee turned to warm his back, he blinked. A place was set at the table, and he suddenly couldn’t remember if it had been there before or not. He had the strangest feeling that it had been set as his back was turned. But his growling stomach drew him forward regardless. If it had been recently served, then surely it must be for him. Right? 

Whatever the case may have been, Lee found himself sliding into a chair. Tea sat steaming in a beautifully decorated tea cup, a chain of daisies painted just under the rim. As Lee reached for the cup, two of the daisies blinked open almost like… eyes. 

“Mama says we’re not to move,” the cup whispered, vines forming a shape that couldn’t possibly be a mouth. “And I didn’t!” it continued in a young, girlish voice. “All the way from the kitchen!” 

“Yes, well, that’s very nice,” Lee said weakly. A second later, he bolted out of his chair and made for the entrance as quickly as his legs could carry him. If ever a place was cursed, it was this castle, and he did not want to stay there a moment longer than necessary. 

Lee hurried down the stairs. He pulled Philippe back from the trough and ran a hand over his snout. “Sorry to pull you away so soon, old friend, but I’m afraid we really can’t stay.” Before anything else could happen, Lee mounted his horse and headed back to the gate. 

Something near the gate caught his eye: a row of rosebushes that he’d missed before in his wild flight from the wolves. He pulled Philippe to a halt. If nothing else could come from this nightmare of a journey, he could at least get Eggsy his rose. 

Lee hurried over to the bushes, spine still crawling with the wrongness of the whole place. He would get the rose, and then he would be off. No sooner had he plucked a rose from its place than he felt warm breath on the back of his neck. His first thought was, irrationally, that the wolves had returned, and now he was truly doomed. 

But the sight that greeted him when he turned, trembling, was something altogether more monstrous. 

~

The garden was much more pleasant without Charlie’s leering gaze upon him, Eggsy decided. The previous night’s rains had flattened some of the vegetables, and Eggsy thought it best to remove the drowned ones before they smothered the salvageable ones. 

Clattering hooves drew Eggsy’s attention to the street. He started to his feet, heart pounding in his chest. “Philippe?” he asked. There was no sign of his father or his cart. “Philippe, what’s happened to father?” 

He hurried out of the garden, catching the horse’s bridle. “Where is he? You must take me to him!” With that, he swung himself onto Philippe’s back, and they were off once more. 

Eggsy placed his trust in Philippe completely; he had no other choice. They passed a fallen tree, charred and blackened at the stump, and veered onto another path. The air was rimmed with frost, and Eggsy looked about him uncertainly. Nothing here looked familiar. 

“Philippe, are you sure this is where we’re meant to be?” Even as Eggsy asked the question, a burnished gate came into view. He gaped at the castle that rose beyond it. How had his father come to be in a place like that?

They clattered to a halt inside the gate. Eggsy left Philippe to wander as he would, trusting the horse to come when he called. He wandered up the steps to the front doors. It seemed much darker than it should have. He had left soon after the sun rose, he knew, though here it seemed more like dusk. 

Eggsy stepped up to the front doors, and two iron lanterns sputtered to life. He jumped, startled. But nothing else moved, so he forced himself to knock. “Hello?” he called out. “I don’t mean to intrude, but I think my father might be here.” 

When there was no reply, Eggsy pushed open the doors and entered. The dusty interior of the castle unfolded around him. It was, he thought, a place that might once have been enchanting. 

As he stepped through the halls, a sense of life rippled through the castle. Fixtures that had not moved for a very long time began to sway in their places. Dishes clattered in their racks. The teapot cracked open an eye. 

And the candelabra whispered to the clock, “Do my eyes deceive me? A young man! In the castle!”

The clock shushed him hurriedly. 

“But he could be the one, couldn’t he?” James the candelabra, more colloquially known as Lancelot, pressed. 

Merlin glared at him through eyes of gears. “Not if you drive him away with your blathering.” 

Still, the two of them crept forward together. They followed Eggsy as he started up the central staircase, turning towards the western wing. 

“Not  _ that _ way!” Merlin hissed. 

It was time, Lancelot decided, to take matters into his own candlesticks. He threw himself to the floor, creating a rather horrible clanging sound against the stone. 

Eggsy stopped immediately and spun to face the noise. “Papa?” He made his way towards where he thought the sound had come from. At the foot of the stairs lay a fallen candelabra. Eggsy wasn’t quite sure how he had missed it before, but he didn’t dwell on it. It could prove useful, given the abundance of shadows in the castle. 

As he bent to pick it up, it rolled lazily in one direction as if pushed by a non-existent wind. Eggsy’s hand closed around the candelabra before it could go spinning off again, but when he looked up, he saw a door he hadn’t noticed before. 

It was set behind the staircase and quite plain compared to the rest of the castle. 

Curiosity piqued, Eggsy drew closer to the door. He looked at the unlit candelabra in his grasp. “I do wish I had some more light,” he muttered. Almost before the words had left his mouth, the candles flared to life. Eggsy almost dropped it in his shock. Never before had he seen self-lighting candlesticks. “Fascinating,” he breathed. He wanted to examine it, discover how exactly the flames had been summoned, but the more pressing business of finding his father drew Eggsy onward. 

The door groaned as he pushed it open, but was, thankfully, unlocked. Beyond it lay a dark, spiraling staircase. Cobwebs lined the walls and gathered in the ceiling corners. Some of them were suspiciously broken, fluttering free. 

Eggsy brushed past them, certain his father must be there somewhere. He was right, as it turned out. He turned one corner and came across a cell carved into the central support column.

Lee Unwin huddled within. 

“Papa!” Eggsy cried. 

Lee woke at the outburst and blinked sleep away from his eyes. He got to his feet as soon as he realized who was standing at his cell door. “Eggsy. You must get out of here as quickly as you can. Go back to the village, I beg you.” 

But Eggsy stayed right where he was. “What’s going on? Who put you in here?” 

Lee visibly shuddered, his hands wrapping tightly around the iron bars of his cell door. “The master of this castle,” he said in a voice thick with fear. “You must go before he finds you here, Eggsy, he is not fond of visitors.” 

Eggsy pulled at the bars with his free hand, but of course they did not budge. “He can’t do this; he can’t lock you up without reason. And if that reason is trespassing, then I belong in there as much as you.” 

“Your father is in my dungeon,” a low voice rumbled from further up the stairs, “because he is a thief.” 

Eggsy rounded on the speaker, glaring into the shadows. He could see nothing more than a shape in the darkness, but he spoke to it all the same. “He is no such thing! What proof do you have?” 

“Eggsy, please-” Lee began, but a low growl cut him off. 

“I watched him take a rose from my garden with my own eyes. I need no more proof than that.” 

Eggsy squinted up at the shape and lifted the candelabra to get a better look. The shadow drew away, and Eggsy huffed in frustration. “Why are you hiding? Come into the light.” 

For a moment, it seemed the man was not going to obey. Then, he slowly slid into the glow of the candles. 

Eggsy gasped. He couldn’t help it; he had never been confronted with such a… beast before.

It stood taller than any man could ever be, and coarse brown fur covered its whole body from head to paw. Horns curved back over the skull. Rags covered its body in a parody of clothing, a show of modesty it did not need to perform. Claws gleamed wickedly in the candlelight, fangs shining the same. 

But it was the eyes that caught Eggsy’s attention. They were soft, brown, and intelligent, as human as Eggsy’s own. “What  _ are _ you?” Eggsy asked. 

“A monster,” Lee answered for him. “Eggsy, you must go. You must forget about me. He does not intend to let me go.” 

Anger replaced awe and curiosity, and Eggsy rounded on the Beast. “You can’t do this! You can’t keep him here for a simple rose. He took it for me!” 

“He should not have,” the Beast snapped. “Choices have consequences. Learn this lesson and  _ go _ .” 

Eggsy’s hand tightened around the candelabra. He could not let his father be punished for his own desire. “Surely you wouldn’t deny me one last moment with my papa. If… if I am never to see him again,” Eggsy said in a small voice. 

The Beast turned his head away, glaring at the gloom. “Fine. But a moment only. When that door closes, it will not open again.” 

The cell door opened with the pull of a lever, and Eggsy practically dropped the candelabra in his eagerness to get inside. He wrapped his arms around his father and held him as tightly as he could. “I cannot do what you ask of me, papa,” he said thickly. “I cannot forget you.” 

Lee ran a hand over his hair, as he had done when Eggsy was young. “I’ll be alright. You are so young, Eggsy, all of life is ahead of you. Do not be afraid to take hold of it.” 

Eggsy wiped at his eyes and stood, pulling his father to his feet with him. “Don’t worry, papa. I am not afraid.” And before either of them could say anything else, Eggsy pushed his father out of the cell and pulled the door closed. 

Lee pressed himself to the bars with a wordless cry, and the Beast gazed in at Eggsy curiously. 

“You would give up your life for him?” he asked. 

“I would not see him imprisoned for my desire,” Eggsy retorted. 

The Beast made no more reply than a grunt. He seized Lee by one arm and began dragging him away. 

“I’ll come back for you!” Lee shouted, even as he was pulled away. “I’ll tell the villagers everything!” 

Eggsy stayed plastered against the bars until his father’s voice had faded completely. Only when the echo had died away did the enormity of what he had done hit him. This small cell was his world now. So much for adventures in the great wide somewhere. He slid to the floor, knees tucked to his chest, chin resting upon them. He wanted to cry, but he wouldn’t give the Beast the satisfaction. 

Barely five minutes had passed when Eggsy heard movement on the stairs. He clenched his jaw and waited. 

There was a slight metallic scraping noise followed by a loud thunk. Then, the cell door swung open. 

Eggsy got slowly to his feet, narrowed eyes fixed on the empty doorway. Was this some sort of trick? “Whatever you’re playing at, I ain’t falling for it,” he declared. He stayed right where he was. If the Beast wanted to chase him, he wouldn’t play into his game. 

No beast appeared. Instead, the candelabra Eggsy had dropped earlier sauntered into view. “Hello!” he said brightly. “Don’t worry about that little tumble I took earlier. My friends say I’ve always had a thick head.” He tapped one candlestick arm against his metal head and grinned. 

Eggsy’s mouth opened as if he was going to say something but no words came out. Had he eaten or drank anything, he would have taken this as a drugged hallucination, but unless this Beast had put something in the air… 

“You’re a candelabra,” Eggsy said dumbly. 

“Good of you to notice,” he said with a wink. “But I prefer to go by Lancelot. I wanted to be the first to welcome you to the castle. Your new home.” 

Eggsy had thought it would take him a little longer to go crazy. He took a step forward. “Are you real? How  _ can _ you be?” 

“I’m as real as you are!” Lancelot said. “Watch the flames,” he added as Eggsy reached out to touch him. 

Only after Eggsy’s fingers encountered real, solid metal did he let himself believe that this was just something beyond his understanding. “It’s nice to meet you, Lancelot. I’m Eggsy.” 

Lancelot brightened. Literally. His flames flared up as he seized Eggsy’s hand and shook it vigorously. “We’re so glad you’ve come, Eggsy. Even the master, though he has a very poor way of showing it.” Lancelot frowned. “But you must come with me, everyone is waiting to meet you.” 

“Everyone?” Eggsy echoed. The castle had seemed so dismally empty before. Still, he followed Lancelot as the candelabra hopped up the stairs. At the very least, he could try to get out of the castle. 

Lancelot led him past the grand staircase into a stately dining room. “You must be hungry,” he said, a slight hint of mischief in his tone. “Please. Have a seat.” 

Feeling inexplicably nervous, Eggsy slid into the nearest chair. He perched on the very edge, poised to run. “Are you sure I’m allowed to eat? I thought I wasn’t supposed to leave my cell.” 

“You  _ weren’t _ ,” a stern voice said from Eggsy’s right. A clock clambered onto the table and glared, first at Eggsy, then at Lancelot. 

Lancelot didn’t seem at all put off. “Merlin, old friend! How good of you to join us. I was just about to offer our guest dinner.” 

“You mean our prisoner,” Merlin corrected. He turned to Eggsy. “I don’t mean to offend, but we serve at the will of our master. Or at least, we’re  _ supposed _ to.” 

Eggsy just didn’t have it in him to be offended by a talking clock. “It’s alright,” he said, but it came out sounding more like a question. 

“Don’t mind Merlin,” Lancelot said with a conspiratorial wink. “He’s always like this.” 

Merlin put stubby wooden arms on what passed as hips. “One of us has to be responsible around here.” 

“Or we could live a little while there’s still life left in us,” Lancelot said. 

Eggsy sensed there was more to that than he knew, because Merlin didn’t say another word in protest. 

Lancelot turned back to Eggsy with a sweeping bow. “Dinner is served.” 

Immediately, there was a hurricane of activity, Eggsy at its epicenter. Dishes danced about of their own volition, laden with food that looked and smelled heavenly. Eggsy, however, was hesitant to eat. Thoughts of poison and hallucinations lingered in his mind. Besides, most of the dishes whirled past too quickly for him to grab anything. 

Lancelot presided over the whole thing, guiding dishes this way and that in an impressive display of choreography. 

It didn’t seem like there was much to do there; Eggsy supposed the whole display might have actually been rehearsed. 

At one point, a dish with mucky gray gelatin flashed by Eggsy. He put out his finger to try some, but Merlin quietly muttered, “Don’t eat that,” and Eggsy retracted his hand. 

The grand finale, as it were, seemed to be the dishes stacking themselves up in a multi-tiered display as Lancelot waltzed down the table along a corridor of popping champagne bottles. He came to a halt in front of Eggsy, candlestick arms outstretched, flames flickering proudly. 

Eggsy clapped politely. His stomach was still rumbling, but he could honestly say he had never seen anything even close to what he had just witnessed. “Very, very nice,” he said. 

Just as the echo of his applause died away, the dining room door slammed open. 

Eggsy couldn’t see who had opened it, but he had a pretty good guess by the way the dishes hastily disassembled themselves and crowded back into the kitchen. Confirmation came in the form of claws curling over the back of his chair. Eggsy sat as straight as he could, relying on his anger instead of his fear. This creature had kidnapped his father, a thing not easily forgotten.

“What,” the Beast growled, wood splintering under his claws, “is the prisoner doing out of his cell?” 

Merlin rolled his cog-like eyes. “Ask Lancelot. I assure you,  _ I _ had nothing to do with it.”

Lancelot shivered under the Beast’s glare but refused to back down. “I did not think you wanted him to starve,” he said. 

The Beast’s claws dug in further. “That you ‘did not think’ was obvious. Whether the boy starves or not is none of your concern,” he said in the same low, dangerous tone as before. “Take him back to his cell.” 

Eggsy got to his feet automatically. He would not have Lancelot get in any more trouble on his behalf.  

But Lancelot wasn’t done yet. “If you’ll forgive me for saying, master,” he said lightly, “it was Eggsy’s father who stole the rose, not Eggsy himself.” 

“So?” the Beast asked gruffly.

“The boy is already atoning for another’s sins. He might as well do so in comfort,” Lancelot continued. “All I’m saying is that I understand his situation more than most. All of us do.” 

Again, Eggsy got the sense that there was something about this he was missing, some puzzle piece that would make Lancelot’s words clear. Now didn’t seem like it was the time to ask. 

The Beast glared at Lancelot for a long while. Then, he turned from them with a snort. “Come, then, boy. I’ll show you to your room.” 

Barely able to believe it, Eggsy cast a grateful look at Lancelot. 

The candelabra gave him a jaunty salute before jumping off the table and wandering off with Merlin. 

Left alone with the Beast for the first time, Eggsy found that he couldn’t hold back his anger. “It seems a bit extreme to lock someone up for their entire life over a rose,” he muttered. 

The Beast barely spared him a glance. “It wouldn’t be the first time.” 

Eggsy opened his mouth but found that he didn’t really know how to respond to that.  _ He’d _ never heard of something like that happening before, but this castle didn’t seem to subscribe to normal. 

The two of them walked up the central staircase in complete silence. At the main landing, it split off in two directions, one to the east and one to the west. 

The Beast stopped and rounded on Eggsy so suddenly, Eggsy nearly ran into him. “Listen and remember,” the Beast said, leaning in until their faces were a mere inch apart. “You are forbidden to enter the West Wing. Rest assured, I will know if you do, and it will not go well for you. Being returned to your cell will be the least of your worries.” 

Perhaps the threat would have seemed less credible if the Beast’s fangs weren’t right in front of Eggsy’s face. As it was, he nodded his understanding. “No tour of the West Wing, then. Right.” His voice was a touch fainter than normal, but Eggsy didn’t think there was a man alive who could blame him for that.  

They were silent again after that while the Beast led Eggsy down the eastern corridor. They stopped in front of a door slightly more elaborate than the others. 

The Beast pushed it open and gestured for Eggsy to go in. 

Eggsy moved past him somewhat cautiously, but he forgot his nerves in the face of his new lodgings. 

The single room was nearly as large as his entire house back in the village. A four-poster bed dominated the space, intricate designs carved into the headboard and spiraling along the rest of the frame. Pale yellow sheets contrasted with the dark wood, looking sinfully soft. A chest-of-drawers took up an alcove in the opposite wall. It looked empty and worn with disuse. 

Considering the Unwins were the first and only guests the castle had seen in years, this didn’t much surprise Eggsy.

There was little else in the room. A desk stood near the alcove, some implements scattered across it and covered in a layer of dust. Eggsy guessed this had used to be a woman’s room by the hairbrush and perfume bottles sitting before the mirror. 

The best part of the room was an arching window in the wall opposite the door.

Eggsy’s mind immediately started churning with plans of escape. 

“I, er, hope you’ll be comfortable here,” the Beast said, shuffling in the doorway. 

Eggsy looked over at him, taken aback. It was the first kind thing he’d heard from him so far. “Yeah, alright,” he said after an over-long pause. 

The goodwill evaporated soon after that as the Beast growled, “Remember. Stay out of the West Wing,” and slammed the door shut. 

Eggsy glared at the door until he was sure that the Beast wasn’t coming back. Then he crossed the room at a near jog, throwing the window open. Even in the twilight, he could see that escape would not be feasible. The room overlooked a rocky cliff face, his room at the very top of a spiraling tower. With a frustrated snarl, Eggsy pulled the window shut again. He would find a way out of here. He had to. 

Eventually, twilight turned to night, and Eggsy decided he’d have a better chance of getting out if he was well rested. He curled up in the deliciously soft bed and, despite the myriad of thoughts whizzing through his head, drifted into sleep. 

~

Lee leaned over Philippe’s neck, urging the horse ever faster. He couldn’t leave his son in the clutches of that dreadful monster. 

Almost before Philippe had stopped, Lee leapt from his back. He hurried to the tavern, the lights and clamor of conversation proof that the villagers were still very much awake. 

Lee burst in, the slamming door drawing nearly every eye in the tavern. “Help me,” he begged. “Please.” For the first time, he regretted his popularity - or rather, lack of it - in the village. Were he well-liked, he would have had no problem securing help for his precious son, he was sure of it. “Please, someone, anyone-” 

“What are you raving about, Unwin?” The jeering voice was familiar, and Charlie swaggered to the front of the tavern, expression scornful. 

Lee’s distaste for Eggsy’s suitor was forgotten in the face of desperation. “Monsieur Hesketh, please help me. I beg of you. My Eggsy has been taken.” 

That seemed to capture Charlie’s attention. “What? Who’s taken him?” 

“A… a beast. A monster!” Lee cried. He could see immediately that he’d said the wrong thing. 

An amused smile spilled slow like oil over Charlie’s lips. “A monster,” he echoed. “Is that so?” 

Lee could feel his chance slipping through his fingers. “Yes. He’s holding Eggsy in his castle. I know, he took me prisoner first, I can show you the way.” 

For a long moment, Charlie said nothing. Then he clapped Lee genially on the shoulder. “Well, if you can show us, then show us! I’ll come along with you, Unwin. We’ll save your son, and maybe capture ourselves a monster while we’re at it.” 

A ripple of surprise went through the tavern. Had Lee actually managed to convince another of his obvious delusion? 

“Bring your gun,” Lee said, already moving off to ready their horses. 

Charlie followed along after him, only pausing to grab his gun from the rack. “Oh, I wouldn’t dream of leaving it behind.” 

The pair of them sped down the forest path, Lee holding a slight lead. They rode nearly till the break of day. As the hours passed, Lee grew more and more frantic. 

Eventually, Charlie reined in his horse with an exclamation of irritation. “Unwin, we’ve been at this for hours! You said you knew the way.” 

“I do know the way,” Lee insisted. “It just  seems that the way has… disappeared.” He looked desperately around the forest for a sign of something, anything, familiar. His eye landed upon a tall, stately oak, and his heart sank. “No. That can’t be.” 

“ _ What _ can’t be?” Charlie asked with an irritated sigh. 

Lee drew closer to the oak. “This tree… It was struck down by lightning. It blocked my path. I had to go off to the right, that’s where the Beast’s castle lies.” But when Lee looked off to the right, there was no trail, only a tangled thicket of trees. 

Charlie looked in the same direction, raising an unimpressed eyebrow. 

“You must believe me,” Lee said. “It happened just as I said. Eggsy needs us.” 

Charlie snorted. “What Eggsy needs is a suitable husband, not a madman for a father.” 

Lee clutched his reins tighter, still staring at the place where the path should have been. “I’m not mad.” 

“You are,” Charlie said. He wheeled his horse around and began to head back the way they had come. Under his breath, he added, “And soon the whole village will know it.” 

~

Eggsy woke with the sun; golden rays shone through the window and bathed the room in a soft glow. It took Eggsy a moment to realize where he was, and his heart sank with recollection. A comfortable prison, but a prison all the same. 

His stomach growled with hunger, and he remembered the aborted dinner of the previous night. He wondered if he was even allowed in the kitchens. 

As it turned out, Eggsy didn’t have to worry about where he was and wasn’t allowed. A light rapping sounded on the door. 

Eggsy slid out from underneath the covers. He opened the door expecting to see Lancelot or even the Beast, but instead a trolley waited for him. It was piled with food, an elaborate tea set presiding over it all. 

The trolley wheeled itself inside. 

Eggsy was about to pour himself a cup of tea when the teapot blinked at him. 

“Good morning, young man,” she said brightly. “Would you like a spot of tea?” 

“Er, yes, please. Thank you.” Eggsy still wasn’t quite used to being greeted by supposedly inanimate objects. 

The teapot sprang into action. As she set about fixing a cup, she chattered merrily. “We’re all dreadfully excited to have you in the castle. We hardly ever get visitors, you know, and even rarer handsome young men such as yourself. Eggsy, isn’t it? Yes, yes, I’m Mrs. Baker, but you can call me Michelle. I’m sure we’re going to be very well acquainted.” 

Between this burst of conversation and watching a teapot fix tea, Eggsy felt he might still be dreaming. But unless the previous night had been a nightmare…

“Oh my,” Michelle said. “You’re looking a bit pale, dear. Let’s get some food in you, that should help.” She teased and wheedled until Eggsy nibbled at a slice of buttered toast. “And some tea should have you right as rain!” 

Eggsy took the proffered teacup, only to have it come alive in his hands. 

“That tickles,” a girlish voice giggled as he sipped his tea. 

Eggsy blinked down at the cup who introduced herself as Daisy. He greeted her politely enough but didn’t drink any more tea. 

When Eggsy had eaten enough to satisfy Michelle, the trolley wheeled itself off again, leaving Eggsy once more alone. He cast about the room for something to do, but there wasn’t much beyond the window. He leaned out over the sill. 

Escape seemed as hopeless as it had the night before, but the view was something to behold. The tower looked out over a long stretch of forest, mountains stretching to the heavens in the distance, a breath-taking backdrop. The sun gleamed over the peaks and bathed the treetops in a golden glow. At least until the trees got near the castle. The sunlight seemed to be swallowed up, lost to a pervasive gloom. 

Eggsy turned away, disheartened. If escape wasn’t going to be possible from this room, he’d just have to get out of it. 

To his pleasant surprise, his door wasn’t locked. Whether Michelle had left it open behind her or whether it had never been locked, Eggsy didn’t know, and he didn’t care. He slipped into the hallway, half expecting to be stopped at any second. But no one appeared to impede his progress. 

Barely able to believe his luck, Eggsy made his way down the stairs. He hesitated on the landing, glancing over towards the West Wing. What could the Beast possibly be hiding from him? An icy thought crept into his mind. What if there were other prisoners being held there, others who had wanted nothing more than a rose or something equally paltry? Eggsy would never forgive himself if he left anyone there. 

Cautiously, Eggsy crept up the stairs. But the castle seemed as deserted as it had when he’d first entered it, and he encountered no one. 

The West Wing was the most derelict part of the castle that Eggsy had seen, including the dungeons. Paintings that had once been beautiful bore vicious claw marks. Dust covered every surface, lending an oppressive quality to the very air. Smashed remnants of vases and other decorations littered the halls. 

Eggsy crept along. Maybe the Beast hadn’t actually been hiding anything and just didn’t want Eggsy to witness such neglect. All the doors he passed were locked up tight, and he didn’t dare knock. He was just about to turn back and give it up as a lost cause when something caught his eye. 

One door stood ajar, but that was not all that drew Eggsy. A soft silver glow spilled out through the crack. Eggsy could not think of anything that could cast it. He pushed the door open and glanced around the room. 

It seemed like a bedroom, a bed pushed against one wall, a wardrobe and desk similar to the ones in Eggsy’s room shoved off to one side. Bookshelves stood near the entrance to a balcony, stuffed with old volumes. One book lay closed on a podium, turned away from Eggsy so that he could not see the cover. The glow came from atop a small plinth in the midst of the bookshelves. A glass case guarded a gently pulsing rose. Petals lay beneath it, brown and shriveled, but the rose itself was a vivid red. 

Eggsy felt himself drawn to it, curiosity burning in his chest. What possible reason could there be for the Beast to keep something like this hidden? His feet practically glided over the worn rugs on the floor as he drifted closer.  

It seemed to hold some unearthly energy. Eggsy reached out to press his fingertips against the glass dome and bit back a gasp. It was warm, as if the rose within was alive. He pressed his palm against the glass, a sense of wonder spilling over him. 

That wonder vanished abruptly as a dark shape came barreling out of the shadows. “What do you think you’re doing?” the Beast roared. 

Immediately, Eggsy yanked his hand away. He backed up until he was pressed flat against a bookcase, and still the Beast advanced. 

“You were forbidden to come in here!” His voice was so loud that it shook the walls. 

Eggsy closed his eyes and pressed harder against the books. He wished he could sink amongst their pages and hide among the ink. 

“Get out!” the Beast shrieked. “ _ GET OUT _ !” 

Eggsy fled. He didn’t look back, just ran headlong down the corridor, down the stairs, towards the door. No one appeared to stop him. Heart in his throat, Eggsy burst through the front doors. He crossed the courtyard as quickly as he could and passed through the gate without pause. 

The Beast’s roar echoed in Eggsy’s ears, urging him onwards. He ran on until his legs gave out, sprawling onto the dirt and leaves. His muscles screamed along with his lungs as he lay on the frozen ground and gasped for breath. He pushed himself to his knees. When he touched his face, it was wet with sweat and tears. 

Slowly, his panic receded. He was alone in the dark forest, yes, but he was  _ free _ . Eggsy got to his feet despite his legs’ protests. He needed to get back to the village. 

But he’d barely taken ten paces when his blood turned to ice in his veins. 

A wolf’s howl pierced the still air. 

Eggsy had to move. He forced himself into a stumbling run, already knowing it was useless. He couldn’t outrun wolves. 

The first sign he had that they were nearby was a prickling on the back of his neck. Slowly, Eggsy turned to find glowing eyes fixed hungrily upon him. Eager for blood, the wolves crept forward. 

Eggsy seized a sizeable branch from the surrounding brush. It was not enough, but it would have to do. He kept moving, determined not to let fear completely undo him. 

A wolf stepped out in front of him, blocking his path. 

Gulping, Eggsy brandished his makeshift club. “I don’t want to hit you with this,” he said in a wavering voice. “But I will.” 

The wolf’s tongue flicked over its nose, ran along its teeth. A snarl rose in its chest. More wolves joined him, forming a deadly circle around Eggsy. 

And then the nearby brush exploded. 

The Beast looked every inch a predator as he landed amongst the wolves. His first blow sent one flying across the path, a yelp torn from its throat. The Beast roared as he spun, tooth and claws gleaming. 

Undeterred, the wolves threw off the shock of the first attack and turned their attention to the new threat. As one, a pair of them leapt at the Beast. Their teeth sent blood arcing onto the forest floor. It spattered the leaves and coated the dirt below, gathered in crimson pools. 

The Beast let out another ferocious roar. He reached for the wolf that clung to his back, his claws closing around the scruff of its neck. With a grunt, he flung the wolf from him. 

The forest closed around it, and it did not reappear. 

Not a minute had passed before another took its place. 

Bleeding from a dozen places, the Beast stood his ground. He slashed and ripped and tore until the wolves retreated, growling, into the forest. He let out one last roar before swaying on his paws. 

Eggsy had watched the whole fight with a sort of slack-jawed awe. He should probably be scared, he thought. After all, the Beast had just fought a pack of wolves and  _ won _ . But fear was strangely absent. 

The Beast’s chest heaved once before he collapsed. Blood welled up from gouges on his back and arms, matting into his fur and making him look positively grotesque. 

Eggsy’s grip on the branch tightened. This was it, this was his chance. The wolves were off nursing their wounds, and the Beast couldn’t possibly follow him in this state. But then, the Beast wouldn’t be in this state if he hadn’t come to save Eggsy. Could he really leave him there to die? 

No, Eggsy finally decided, he could not. With a groan, he knelt beside the Beast. Careful not to brush against any of his wounds, he laid a hand on one massive shoulder. 

The muscle twitched under his touch, and the Beast opened one eye. 

“We’ve got to get you back to the castle,” Eggsy said quietly. The thought was daunting. He certainly wasn’t strong enough to carry the Beast on his own. “Can you stand?” 

The Beast breathed raggedly, but began to heave himself to his feet. 

Eggsy offered his branch as a makeshift staff, and the Beast leaned on it heavily. Eggsy did what he could to support him, but the Beast’s size - such an asset against the wolves - now worked against them. 

Their pace was excruciatingly slow. Eggsy feared a second wolf attack at any second. It would be fatal, he knew that much. Neither of them were in any position to fight. Fortunately, the castle gate came into view without further incident. 

Wearily, the pair made their way up the stairs. It was all Eggsy could do to keep the Beast upright until they had reached the West Wing. 

The Beast collapsed onto his bed, wounds still slowly oozing blood. 

“Hey,” Eggsy snapped as he shook him. “I need you to stay awake.” He received only a soft moan in response. “I mean it. I’ll be back soon, I just need to fetch some things. Stay  _ awake _ .” 

The Beast muttered something that might have been acquiescence. 

Eggsy took it. He hurried out of the room, already making a mental list of what he would need. He was halfway through collecting supplies when he stopped dead in his tracks. This was insane. The Beast had taken Eggsy and his father captive, all over a single rose. Eggsy owed him nothing. 

But the Beast could have left him to the wolves. And there was something awfully strange about the rose behind the glass case.

Resolve strengthened somewhat, Eggsy gathered up a needle and thread and returned to the West Wing. 

The Beast was awake and waiting for him when Eggsy returned. He eyed the needle. “What do you intend to do with that?” 

“You need stitches,” Eggsy said. He set needle and thread on the bedside table and dipped a cloth he’d pilfered from the kitchen into a bowl of alcohol-laced water. “But first, I’m going to clean out your wounds.” 

The Beast eyed Eggsy warily as he wrung the rag out. As soon as it touched the ragged wounds on his arm, he growled and yanked his arm away. “That hurts!” he snapped. 

Eggsy glared at him and reached for his arm again. “Well, it’s going to hurt a lot  _ more _ if it gets infected, and I have to cut your arm off,” he snapped back. 

The Beast’s eyes narrowed further. “You wouldn’t really do that.” 

Eggsy stared at him without blinking, a stubborn set to his jaw. 

Hesitation seeped into the Beast’s gaze. “Would you?” 

Eggsy just lifted his eyebrows. 

Grudgingly, the Beast handed his arm back over. 

“Thank you.” Eggsy carefully cleared out each scrape, each puncture, ignoring the Beast’s various grunts and snarls. He took note of which cuts were the deepest so he could stitch them up first. The water turned red with blood, and twice he had to change it out. The Beast didn’t try to pull away again after the first time. 

Eventually, Eggsy had cleaned the cuts to his satisfaction. He set the bowl and cloth aside, turning to the needle and thread. “This will sting a bit,” he warned. “But I need you not to move. You can talk to me, if you want, to distract yourself. It seems to help.” He bent over the first jagged cut and carefully began to stitch it up. 

Breath hissed through the Beast’s fangs, but he didn’t move. Instead, he watched Eggsy deftly sewing up his arm. When the pain got worse, he said, “How did you know to do all this?” 

“I used to help the animals back in my village,” Eggsy said without pausing or looking up. “You’d be surprised how many ways an animal can tear itself open.” 

“I’m not an animal,” the Beast growled. 

Eggsy shook his head. “Not exactly, no.” 

The Beast stayed quiet for a long time after that. He did not speak again until Eggsy was nearly done. “I’m sorry.” 

Eggsy’s hands faltered. “So am I. For giving you these.” His fingertips skimmed over the stitches. 

“I shouldn’t have chased you away,” the Beast said. 

“You shouldn’t have done a lot of things,” Eggsy said. He tied off the thread and set the needle aside. “You can rest now.” 

The Beast’s eyes were closed by the time Eggsy walked out of the door. 

~

It only took a few days for the Beast to recover enough to walk again. Eggsy spent most of that time in the kitchens. It seemed to be the congregation point for most of the servants, and they were more than happy to have Eggsy with them. 

“We are eternally grateful for your help, young monsieur,” Lancelot said with a sweeping bow. “Were we alone responsible for our master’s healing, I’m afraid he would be quite dead.” 

Daisy gasped and shrank closer to her mother, rattling on her saucer. 

That earned Lancelot a sharp scolding. 

Even Merlin admitted that Eggsy had done well. 

Eggsy was the only one truly capable of helping the Beast with his recovery. He changed his bandages, checked that the smaller cuts were healing well, and eventually removed the stitches. 

As he worked, the Beast talked. He told Eggsy stories about the servants, most of which seemed to involve Lancelot making a fool of himself or others. He told Eggsy about the castle and its grounds, how lovely they looked in the spring when all the flowers bloomed and the grass was green. He even promised to show them to Eggsy when he was well enough to do so. 

To Eggsy’s surprise, the Beast seemed intent on keeping that promise. 

“What are you doing?” Eggsy asked. He’d come into the Beast’s room to find him rummaging through the wardrobe. 

Clothes littered the ground around his paws, and his head was stuck almost all the way inside the closet. “Looking for something,” he said, voice coming out muffled. “I could have sworn I had- aha!” The Beast emerged triumphant, a fur-lined cloak gripped in one paw. 

Eggsy looked between the cloak and the Beast. “What do you need that for?” 

“It’s not for me. It’s for you.” The Beast offered it out to him. “It’s cold outside.” 

“Are we going outside?” Eggsy asked after a slight pause. Even as he asked, he took the cloak and settled it around his shoulders. It was warm and incredibly soft, and Eggsy pulled it closer around him. 

A look of uncertainty stole over the Beast’s face. “I thought I could show you the grounds. As I promised.” 

“Oh,” Eggsy said with a startled blink. “Okay.” 

The two of them walked silently - and a bit awkwardly - through the castle. As they passed, the servants watched with keen interest. 

“Are you seeing what I’m seeing?” Lancelot whispered to Merlin. 

“I think you’re reading further into it than I am,” Merlin grumbled in response. “They’re just going for a walk in the gardens.” 

Undeterred, Lancelot grinned. “And when was the last time our dear king went for a walk in the garden?” 

Merlin didn’t answer. He didn’t have to. They both knew it had been a very long time. 

A layer of snow covered everything, and Eggsy was suddenly grateful for the cloak the Beast had given him. He nestled further into it as they turned towards the hedge maze. “What is the point of those things?” Eggsy asked. 

The Beast followed the direction of his gaze and hesitated. “Well… I suppose I don’t really know. I had this one constructed because it looked nice.” 

One corner of Eggsy’s mouth twitched upwards. “Because it looked nice,” he repeated. It did, he thought, the dark green hedge dusted with white, neatly trimmed leaves packed so tightly together it seemed almost unreal. 

The Beast stared at it, and if Eggsy didn’t know better, he would have thought he looked sad. “I used to be concerned with such things.” 

There was the faintest hint of sorrow in his voice, and Eggsy regretted asking. Without thinking, he laid his hand comfortingly on the Beast’s arm. 

The Beast blinked down at him. 

Eggsy, realizing what he had done, shivered and drew a bit closer. “Cold,” he said by way of explanation. 

For a moment, it seemed as if the Beast might pull away. But instead, he perked up. “Come. I have something I think you might like.” 

Eggsy allowed himself to be pulled along towards the gates. 

The Beast swept snow from the bushes along its interior to reveal an array of rich red roses. A few white ones bloomed among them, as pure as the snow. 

Eggsy gazed spellbound at the flowers. “Are these the ones papa tried to take?” 

The Beast hesitated, suddenly tense. “They are.” 

Eggsy’s hand slipped from the Beast’s arm as he leaned forward to inhale their scent. “They’re beautiful,” he breathed. “And you’re right.” He looked at the Beast as if he’d never really seen him before. “I do like them.” 

They spent the rest of the afternoon wandering where the wind took them. Birds soared over their heads, broken snow marked their passage. Eventually, the Beast began climbing the stairs back to the castle but paused when he realized Eggsy was not with him. 

Eggsy was too busy staring at the far-off mountains to notice the Beast until he’d come up behind him. 

“What are you looking at?” the Beast asked, head tilted curiously to one side. 

“Just the mountains,” Eggsy said and waved his hand toward the dark smudge on the horizon. “I used to dream about going there someday. Maybe even farther than that, if I ever got the chance.” Sighing wistfully, Eggsy turned back towards the castle. 

The next morning, Eggsy endured breakfast with a giggling teapot. Michelle couldn’t look at him without beaming, and he couldn’t fathom why. His only consolation was that Daisy seemed to be just as confused. 

When he started down the stairs, he noticed the Beast waiting at the foot of them, deep in conversation with Lancelot and Merlin. As soon as they realized Eggsy was coming, they fell quiet. Merlin started off, and Lancelot followed, giving his master a salute and throwing in a wink for good measure. 

“What was all that about?” Eggsy asked as he stopped beside the Beast. 

The Beast cleared his throat. “Nothing. I have something more to show you.” In a rare display of gallantry, he offered Eggsy his arm. 

Equal parts surprised and bemused, Eggsy took it. 

The Beast led him to a part of the castle he had not seen before. It  looked almost inhabited except for the white sheets covering the furniture and the fine layer of dust. 

Eggsy was about to ask where they were going when they stopped in front of a set of double doors. The Beast threw them open, and all of Eggsy’s questions died on his lips. 

They stood before a massive library. Shelf upon shelf of books were stacked as high as the ceiling. Rolling ladders scattered throughout provided access to those too high to reach by hand. Books of every shape and size were packed in amongst each other, some lying free on tables or overstuffed armchairs, just begging to be picked up. Vaulted windows bathed the room in natural light, and all Eggsy could do was blink, dazzled. 

The Beast was already moving among the shelves. “I know I have a book about those mountains in here somewhere,” he muttered. 

Eggsy finally managed to unglue his feet from the floor and step into the room “What was that?” he asked dreamily. 

“The mountains you were staring at,” the Beast said. “I must have something about them in here.” 

Eggsy turned to gape at him. “Have you read all of these?” 

The Beast paused in his search and stopped it entirely when he saw the look on Eggsy’s face. “Well, no,” he admitted. “Very few of them, actually. It’s rather difficult to hold a book.” He lifted his clawed hands and grimaced. 

“Then I’ll read to you,” Eggsy offered. All thoughts of the distant mountains had vanished in the face of what was already in front of him. “Is there anything you want to hear?” He started looking through the books that had already been pulled out. 

“No,” the Beast said, a bit taken aback. “Read whatever you’d like.” 

Eggsy picked a title he remembered liking and settled himself in one of the armchairs. 

As he read, the Beast drifted closer until he was seated across from Eggsy, listening attentively. 

They had a secret audience huddled in the doorway. 

“Have you ever seen the like?” Michelle whispered to her companions. 

“No, madame,” Lancelot whispered back. “I don’t believe I have.” 

Merlin sniffed loudly. “And if Lancelot would move his big head, maybe I could see it too!” 

It became a common sight to see the Beast and Eggsy lounging around the castle somewhere, Eggsy reading, the Beast listening quietly beside him. 

Lancelot bided his time until Eggsy went to get a new novel, not wanting to interrupt them. As soon as Eggsy was out of earshot, he approached the Beast. “Everything is ready for tonight, master.” 

“Thank you, Lancelot.” The Beast sucked in a deep breath. “Do you think I’m making a mistake?” 

Lancelot shook his head vehemently. “Not at all. If I may be so bold, I think he could be the one we’ve been waiting for.” 

The Beast glimpsed Eggsy’s returning figure. “I think you might be right.” 

Later that evening, Eggsy was in his own room. He was gazing once more out the window, but the thought of escape hadn’t crossed his mind for some time. Life in the castle was pleasant nowadays. 

There came a knock at the door, and Eggsy went to open it. He found Lancelot waiting on Michelle’s trolley, a heap of black fabric piled behind him. Eggsy’s brow furrowed. 

“My master humbly requests that the young monsieur join him for dinner this evening,” Lancelot said with a deep bow. “May I have the pleasure of telling him you accept?” 

Eggsy found himself fighting a smile at the formality. The Beast was full of surprises. “You may,” he said. 

Lancelot brightened. “He thought you might like a change of wardrobe as well,” he said as he gestured to the pile of fabric behind him. 

Lifting it, Eggsy discovered that it was an elegant suit, black trimmed with gold. He’d never worn anything so fine.

“It used to be the master’s,” Lancelot said as Eggsy admired it. “But I think he’s gotten a little too big for it. Don’t tell him I said that.” 

Eggsy winked conspiratorially. “My lips are sealed.” 

“Thank you, young monsieur. And now, I must be off. I have an acceptance to deliver.” The trolley wheeled Lancelot away, and Eggsy was left alone with his new suit. 

He changed into it quickly and spent a few minutes staring at himself in the mirror. Dinner with the Beast. It would have been unthinkable mere days ago, but something had shifted between them. The Beast no longer seemed so monstrous. There was kindness, a certain charm, lurking beneath his off-putting exterior. 

Eggsy dragged the hairbrush through his hair a few times just for good measure and started down the stairs. He didn’t know why he should be so nervous; it was just dinner. He’d had dinner lots of times. But never with the Beast. 

Once more, the Beast waited for him at the foot of the stairs. He too wore a suit, and Eggsy was surprised by how human it made him appear. Or maybe he was just starting to see more of a man than a monster. 

The Beast offered Eggsy his arm and together the two of them entered the dining room. 

The dinner started as awkwardly as Eggsy had feared it might. They picked over their food, not speaking much. 

Eggsy tried desperately to think of something to say, but nothing seemed quite right. Eventually, he cleared his throat and said, “We never did find that book on mountains.” 

The Beast looked up quickly from his bowl of soup. “No,” he said. “But there are quite a few of them to look through.” 

“There are,” Eggsy agreed. “Back in my village we had a library. Not nearly as grand as yours, though. It only had a few non-fiction books.” 

“Let me guess,” the Beast said mildly. “You read them all.” 

Eggsy wadded up his cloth napkin and threw it at him. “But yes. I did.” 

Grinning, the Beast plucked the napkin off his face. “Did it have any on my mountains?” he asked. 

Eggsy shook his head. “No. If I recall correctly, there were two or three on animal husbandry, one on gardening, one on sewing, one on dancing-” 

The Beast snorted. 

Eggsy paused in his list, affronted. “What?”

“Nothing,” the Beast said with a slight shake of his head. 

“What?” Eggsy pressed, curious now.

“ _ Nothing _ ,” the Beast repeated. “It’s just… you don’t really learn how to dance from a book.” 

Eggsy looked at him skeptically. “And you know how to dance properly, do you?” 

The Beast nodded, a bit smug. “I do, in fact.” 

Eggsy’s expression morphed from disbelieving to challenging. “Prove it.” 

The Beast stood without hesitation. “Alright, I will. But not here in the dining room,” he said with a glance at the overlarge table. 

“Don’t tell me you have a ballroom,” Eggsy said. How could there possibly be a part of the castle he hadn’t seen yet?

The Beast led Eggsy away. “I have a ballroom.” 

And what a spectacular ballroom it was. Directly across from the library and with high, vaulted ceilings. Floorspace enough for two dozen couples, maybe more. A raised dais at the back of the room for the musicians.

They had no need of those, however. Instruments carved on the walls began playing as they entered, sweet strains of music filling the air. 

“Monsieur Unwin,” the Beast said, turning to Eggsy and bowing at the waist. “May I have this dance?” 

Eggsy slipped his hand into the Beast’s paw. “You may.” 

The Beast wound an arm about his waist, eyes glinting merrily. “I do hope you read about the waltz.” 

As it turned out, reading about dancing and actually doing it were two very different things. Eggsy’s feet were clumsy at first, but he soon got used to the rhythm. The Beast made it easy for him, taking the lead; all Eggsy had to do was follow. He rested his head on the Beast’s chest as they swept across the ballroom and felt the arm around his waist tighten. 

They didn’t stop dancing until Eggsy was nearly asleep on his feet. “Thank you for this,” he said as the Beast walked him back to his room. 

“For what?” the Beast asked. 

“For everything. For trying.” Eggsy lingered in his doorway, hand still holding the Beast’s. 

The Beast inclined his head and released him. “You deserve nothing less.” 

~

Lee was miserable. He should have known Charlie was only tricking him. He’d never had any intention of helping Lee find Eggsy, he knew that now. Instead, he’d spent the past few days telling anyone who would listen about the “mad Unwin”. 

They came for him late one evening. 

A rapid pounding at his door had Lee springing from his bed in an instant. Could it be Eggsy? Had he somehow escaped? 

But he opened his door to a sea of twisted faces, the villagers clamoring for his imprisonment. 

“You’re a danger to yourself, Unwin. And more importantly, to us!” 

“Monsieur Hesketh has told us everything. You’re insane.” 

“Lock him up! Him and his silly inventions!” 

“No,” Lee begged. “Please. You don’t understand. My son-” 

“Won’t have to worry about having such a shameful father anymore,” Charlie broke in triumphantly. “Seize him.” 

Lee continued to protest even as his hands were bound, even as he was thrown into the back of a cart meant for the asylum. He kept pleading, but there was no one who would listen.

~

“Eggsy,” the Beast said, paw landing heavily on Eggsy’s shoulder. “Wake up.” 

Eggsy slowly peeled his eyes open. He was surprised to find a book in his lap until he realized he must have dozed off in the library. He blinked up at the Beast. 

“Come with me.” The Beast sounded unusually somber. 

Something about his tone truly woke Eggsy, and he cast the book aside. “Is something wrong?” he asked, voice thick with concern. 

The Beast only shook his head. He left the library and headed for the West Wing. 

Burning with curiosity, Eggsy followed. He hadn’t been in the Beast’s room since his wounds had healed, and he was surprised to find that it was their destination. 

The Beast went to the glass case that held the rose. Only two petals remained. “It is time that I told you the truth,” he said gravely. 

Eggsy blinked and moved further into the room. “I’ll listen.” 

It took a moment for the Beast to gather enough courage to speak. “This castle, and everyone inside it, is cursed. It is entirely my own fault. I was arrogant and proud; it led to our downfall. The Enchantress who cursed us gave me this rose as an hourglass for my fate. When the last petal falls, my opportunity to break the curse will be gone.” 

Eggsy took a step forward. “How-” 

But the Beast held up a paw to forestall him. “The curse is mine alone to deal with. I do not wish to worry you with it. This is what I really wanted to show you.” He moved to the podium. The same book that Eggsy had noticed before still sat upon it. 

When the Beast beckoned him forward, Eggsy went to stand with him. 

“The rose was not the only thing the Enchantress gave me,” the Beast said. He opened the book directly to the middle. 

Both pages were taken up by the most detailed map Eggsy had ever seen. It held places he didn’t even know existed within its depths. 

“She wanted to torment me,” the Beast said, a bitter edge to his voice. “This book can take us anywhere in the world, but I would not be welcome wherever I went. Not in this form.” 

Eggsy stared down at the book in wonder. “How does it work? Can we use it now?” 

The Beast took Eggsy’s hand and placed it on the pages. His voice was low in his ear as he spoke. “Close your eyes, and picture anywhere you want to go.” 

Obediently, Eggsy shut his eyes. He already knew exactly where he wanted to be. 

There was a rush of wind, and when Eggsy opened his eyes, he could barely believe he wasn’t dreaming. He stood with the Beast on the tallest hill outside his village, the book resting at their feet. 

The Beast breathed in deeply, head tilted toward the sky. “I haven’t felt the sun in such a long time,” he murmured, so quietly Eggsy wasn’t sure he was meant to hear. 

Eggsy touched his arm, and the Beast opened his eyes, looking about him curiously. 

“Where are we?” he asked. 

“Just outside my village,” Eggsy said. He pointed down towards the small cluster of houses and pastures a mere mile or two away. “I wanted to show you my home.” 

The Beast gazed down at it. “Your houses are so small,” he said eventually. 

Eggsy elbowed him but couldn’t help smiling. “Not all of us can have castles.” 

They fell silent as they watched the villagers move about below. From this far away, they looked more like ants than people. 

When the sun began to set, the Beast bent to pick up the book. “We should go,” he said quietly. 

With a heavy heart, Eggsy put his hand back upon the map. Homesickness filled him as he took one last look at the village. 

They left it behind with a rush of air. 

When they got back to the castle, the Beast wiped a tear from Eggsy’s eye. He hadn’t even realized he was crying. 

“You miss it,” the Beast said. “You miss your father.” 

Eggsy could only nod. 

“Then I have one last treasure to show you.” the Beast went to his bedside table. From the drawer, he drew a silver mirror. “It can show you anything,” he told Eggsy, offering it to him. “Including your father. All you have to do is ask.” 

Eggsy gripped the mirror tightly. He could barely contain the excitement in his voice as he stared back at his reflection. “Show me my father,” he commanded. 

The mirror’s surface rippled and changed. It faded in on Lee’s face, surrounded by an angry mob of villagers. 

Eggsy watched in horror as the townspeople threw Lee into the asylum cart. “Papa!” 

The Beast watched with him, ice creeping into his heart. His eyes slid sideways to see the rose. Even as he watched, a petal came loose and drifted to the ground. Only one remained. If he let Eggsy leave now, he was out of chances. But if he forced him to stay, then he was as monstrous as he looked.

“You should go to him.” 

Eggsy turned to look at the Beast, face twisted with grief. “What?” 

“You should go to your father,” the Beast said. He couldn’t look at Eggsy. If he did, he might break down and beg him to stay. “He needs you.” 

“Thank you,” Eggsy breathed. He made to give back the mirror, but the Beast shook his head. 

“Take it with you,” he said. “Use it to remember me, if you want to. And take the book. It’s the quickest way to your father, and I have no more use for it.” After all, his last hope for being human was about to walk out the door. 

Overwhelmed, Eggsy flung his arms around the Beast and held him tightly. It was all the farewell he had time for. 

Eggsy stood once more over the book, palm pressed desperately to the pages. “Take me to my father.” 

In an instant, Eggsy disappeared from the Beast’s life. As the last glimpse of him vanished, it was as if he’d never even been there.  

~

Eggsy opened his eyes to find himself at the edge of the village, book in one hand, mirror in the other. Heart beating wildly in his chest, he shoved the book in his jacket pocket and raced towards the center of the town. He could hear the clamor of many voices growing louder as he ran. 

The villagers stood around the asylum cart, Charlie at their head. Lee was still pleading with them to listen, but he was long past hope. 

“Papa!” Eggsy cried. 

Every eye turned to face him. The murmuring turned into shouts and exclamations of surprise. 

“Eggsy!” Lee reached for him through the bars of the cart. 

Charlie laughed loudly and swaggered forward, as proud as if he had orchestrated the whole spectacle himself. “You see, Unwin, there is no beast! Eggsy is here unharmed and unshackled. You were wrong, old man.” 

Eggsy turned to Charlie, face twisted with rage. “Let him go!” 

Adopting a sorrowful expression, Charlie shook his head. “I’m afraid we can’t, my darling. Your father has lost his mind. You see, he’s spent the last few days going on about castles and beasts. He even claimed you were captured.” He laid a hand that was meant to be comforting on Eggsy’s shoulder. 

Skin crawling from the touch, Eggsy quickly backed away from him. “But I  _ was _ captured. And there  _ is _ a beast. My father wasn’t lying or insane.” 

The villagers broke out in a fresh wave of jeers. 

“Mad as his father, that one,” Madame LeFevre murmured to her husband, and he nodded in agreement. 

“I can prove it,” Eggsy said, his grip on the mirror tightening. “And then you’ll have to let my father go.”

Charlie smirked. “Very well, Gary. Prove that this beast of yours exists, and your father will be released, I give you my word.” 

Eggsy held the mirror in front of him so all the crowd could see. “Show me the Beast,” he shouted. 

The mirror’s surface flashed silver and began to change. The Beast’s form filled its small frame. 

The villagers recoiled, some shocked, some frightened. Madame LeFevre fainted right away. 

Even Charlie looked disgusted. “It’s a monster,” he breathed. 

“No,” Eggsy said quickly. “I thought so too at first, but he is good and kind-” 

“Don’t tell me you care for that… that  _ thing _ ,” Charlie sneered in an undertone, so that only Eggsy could hear. 

Eggsy turned the mirror around and gazed upon the face of the Beast. His heart hurt to see him in such sorrow, especially knowing he was the cause of it. “I do care for him,” he said in a broken voice. 

Charlie gagged but recovered quickly, and he turned to face the crowd. “The Beast has put Gary under his spell!” he shouted. “He thinks he’s in love with this creature.” He waited for the gasps to die down before continuing. “We must put an end to this monster before he bewitches any more of us. We must kill the Beast!” 

The villagers roared their approval, caught up in a frenzy. Fear and uncertainty filled their faces, boiling over into a manic energy. 

“No,” Eggsy shouted. “You can’t! He’s done nothing!” 

But Charlie talked right over him. “Grab torches, grab pitchforks, grab whatever weapons you can find. And lock him up.” He pointed at Eggsy. “If given half the chance, he will warn the Beast we are coming.” 

Eager hands descended upon Eggsy. He struggled violently, but there were far too many villagers for him to escape. His hands were bound, and he was shoved into the back of the cart with his father. 

Lee knelt beside him immediately, their captors dispersing to join the newly forming mob. “Eggsy, my son,” Lee said. Tears glittered in his eyes. “Has that monster truly bewitched you?” 

“No, papa,” Eggsy said. He struggled into a sitting position, gazing earnestly at his father. “He isn’t a monster, and he hasn’t put me under any spell. I… I care for him of my own accord.” 

Lee closed his eyes for a long moment, his face perfectly still. He seemed to be having some sort of internal battle, but eventually he opened them again. “Then we must save him,” he sighed. 

“There’s a book in my jacket,” Eggsy said. “It’s magic, it will take us right to him. We must hurry.” 

Already the villagers were streaming out of the village, Charlie leading them, gun in hand. They were heading in the direction Lee had led Charlie mere days ago. 

Lee groaned. If only he’d never showed them the way. 

Eggsy was too busy trying to fumble the book out of his jacket to notice his father’s distress. His fingers were clumsy with lack of circulation, and the book eluded him, spine slipping through his hands again and again. Frustrated tears blurred his vision. He dashed them away with his arm and reached for the book again. 

“Let me try,” Lee offered. 

Eggsy dropped his hands and sat back. “Inside front pocket,” he said. 

Lee rummaged through the pocket until he managed to close his hands around the book. He dragged it out, and it tumbled to the floor of the cart near their feet. 

Quickly, Eggsy flipped it open to the map. “This will take me to the Beast,” he told his father. “You should stay here. I don’t want you caught up in whatever happens.” 

“But-” Lee started to protest, but Eggsy cut him off. 

“Please, papa. Stay.” 

Lee sighed but nodded. “Just promise me you’ll be careful,” he said. 

“I promise.” Eggsy wished he could hug his father, but his bound hands prevented that. He breathed deeply and tried to spread his palms flat on the book. The rope dug into his wrist as he twisted his hands around, and he whimpered in pain. 

“Eggsy!” a voice called from outside the cart. 

Wide-eyed, Eggsy twisted around to see who had called him. “Roxy?” 

Roxy came to a halt in front of him, hair stuck to her sweaty forehead, chest heaving for breath. 

“What are you doing here?” Eggsy asked. 

In reply, Roxy held up a dagger. “Before I cut you free,” she panted, “you must swear to me that that creature means us no harm.” She glared at him with an intensity Eggsy had never seen before. 

Eggsy stared steadily back at her. “I swear. The Beast doesn’t wish to hurt anyone.” 

Roxy caught her breath and straightened her shoulders. “Right. Hands, then.” 

Eggsy shoved his hands through the bars, and she sawed through his ropes, doing the same for Lee right afterwards. 

As soon as his hands were free, Eggsy slammed his palm onto the book. “Roxy,” he said as she cut through Lee’s bonds. “Think you can pick the lock on this cart and get my father out of here?” 

Roxy squinted at the lock, stuck the point of her dagger in it, and waggled it a bit. “I think so.” 

“You’re a blessing, Rox,” Eggsy said. Then he squeezed his eyes shut, pictured the castle in his mind’s eye, and was gone. 

~

The Beast sat huddled in his room. He barely noticed when Lancelot and Merlin crept in. 

“Master? What has happened? Where is Eggsy?” Lancelot asked, noting that the room was empty save the Beast. 

“Gone,” the Beast said quietly. “To save his father.” 

Lancelot’s mouth fell open. “G-gone?” he stammered. “But he was supposed to be the one! He was supposed to break the spell!” 

The Beast looked away. “Clearly not,” he growled. 

Merlin cleared his throat. “Perhaps we should be going,” he said to Lancelot in an undertone. It was best not to bother their master when he was in one of his moods. 

But the Beast stopped them before they could move. “No, wait. I… I need to apologize. For everything I’ve done. None of you deserved to suffer for my arrogance, and now I’ve doomed us all by letting Eggsy go.” 

Lancelot’s expression softened. He patted the Beast’s arm carefully. “You did the right thing, letting him go. Keeping him here would not have made him love you,” he assured him. 

“Perhaps not,” the Beast said. 

A long moment passed before Merlin tugged Lancelot away. “Come. We should leave him be.” 

This time, the Beast did not stop them. He kept his eyes fixed on the rose and watched as the last petal trembled in a nonexistent breeze. 

~

Eggsy opened his eyes to find himself back in the West Wing. Sounds of conflict came from downstairs; the villagers had broken into the castle. 

Eggsy glanced around the room, expecting the Beast to be lurking in the shadows. But to his disappointment, there was no sign of him. 

After Eggsy had searched the whole room, and every other room in the wing, he ran into the hall, headed for the sound of screaming villagers. 

The inhabitants of the castle were fighting valiantly to save their home. Michelle dumped vats of boiling water over the stair railings, keeping villagers away from the upper stories. Wardrobes and pianos hurled themselves on unsuspecting men and women, their weight pinning them to the floor. Coat racks used their arms as fists. The harsh crack of wood hitting flesh and bone sounded more than once. Brooms beat the heads of their assailants, Merlin rode the trolley directly into people’s knees, and Lancelot danced through it all, setting people ablaze. 

“Lancelot!” Eggsy shouted over the din. “Where is the Beast?” 

Lancelot’s head whipped up in surprise. “Young monsieur! You have returned!” He paused to set a woman’s skirt on fire. 

Shrieking, she ran out into the snow. 

“The last I knew of the master, he was in his chambers,” Lancelot continued. “You must find him. He thinks you have gone forever!” 

Eggsy was hesitant to let them fight the villagers alone, but even as he watched, a group of them fled through the castle doors, another cluster right on their heels. The crowd was already thinning. 

Convinced that the castle could handle itself, Eggsy hurried back to the West Wing. If the Beast wasn’t in his chambers, where could he be? He sucked in a deep breath and reclaimed the mirror from where he had left it atop the book. “Show me the Beast,” he said in trembling tones. 

The mirror’s surface rippled as always and pulled the Beast into focus. He clung to a tower’s roof, blood oozing from one shoulder. 

Eggsy’s brow furrowed. All the Beast’s wounds from the wolf attack had already healed. 

Then a gunshot rang out through the night, and the Beast grunted as the bullet buried itself in the shingles below his feet. 

Eggsy’s grip on the mirror turned white-knuckled. He had to stop this somehow. He raced out onto the balcony, already looking for the Beast. He stopped him two towers away. 

Charlie stood on the ramparts beneath him, reloading his gun. 

“Beast!” Eggsy shouted, hands cupped around his mouth. “I’m here!” 

Both Charlie and the Beast turned to gape at him. 

“Eggsy?” the Beast breathed. 

“How did you get here?” Charlie bellowed. His eyes blazed with anger. “I locked you up!” 

The Beast narrowed his eyes and fixed them on Charlie. His lips drew back from his fangs in a snarl, and he leapt from the tower. The ramparts shook beneath him as he landed. 

Charlie swung to face him. He fired once, right into the Beast’s chest. 

The Beast stumbled, and Eggsy lurched forward, eyes fixed on him. His heart seized in his chest as Charlie swaggered closer. 

Laughing, Charlie reloaded and cocked his gun. “Face it, monster. You’ve lost. Eggsy will belong to me, as he always should have done. Oh, but don’t worry, I’ll treat him well enough. Lock him up when I’m annoyed with him. He seems to like that.” He aimed right between the Beast’s eyes. “Your pelt can be my wedding gift to him.” 

The Beast’s clawed hand flashed out and wrapped around the muzzle of the gun. Burning eyes met Charlie’s stunned ones as he bent the metal until the muzzle faced the sky. Growl rumbling in his chest, the Beast drew himself up to his full height. 

Charlie gulped as he looked at the towering form above him. “Th-this is impossible,” he stammered. “I’m not supposed to lose.” 

The Beast yanked the gun right out of Charlie’s hands and tossed it over the edge of the ramparts. It fell to the ground nearly thirty stories below and smashed to pieces. 

Charlie raised his hands in surrender. His face was as white as a sheet. “Please, don’t kill me. You wouldn’t, would you? Not with your precious Eggsy watching?” 

For the first time, the Beast looked up to meet Eggsy’s gaze. 

Eggsy’s eyes widened, and he opened his mouth to call out a warning. 

Too late. Charlie’s hunting knife plunged between the Beast’s shoulder blades. He roared in agony and lashed out blindly. 

The blow caught Charlie in the stomach and sent him stumbling backwards. His foot slipped over the edge of the ramparts, and he gasped. He tried to right himself, but his weight carried him backwards into thin air. Screaming, he plummeted to the ground below. 

Eggsy was already moving. He climbed onto the balcony railing, intent on reaching the Beast. 

“No,” the Beast rasped. He got shakily to his feet, staggered forward a few steps, and reached behind him. Grunting with pain and effort, he drew the knife from his back. It fell from nervous fingers to the ground below. Bruised and bleeding, the Beast made his way over the ramparts and across the walkway to the West Wing. As soon as he reached the balcony, he collapsed. 

Instantly, Eggsy was at his side. He checked the Beast’s wounds as quickly as he could, internally wincing at each of them. Even the one on his shoulder was still bleeding. 

The Beast didn’t seem to notice how badly he was wounded. He lifted one paw and placed it on Eggsy’s cheek. “Eggsy. You came back.” 

“Of course I did,” Eggsy said, crying in earnest now. “I couldn’t leave you forever. Now stay here, and stay awake. I just have to get some supplies, and I’ll-” 

The Beast was already shaking his head. “It’s too late,” he said. His eyes slid sideways and found the rose. The last petal fell from the stem. 

“No, no, it can’t be too late,” Eggsy said even as the Beast’s eyes dimmed. “You can’t die!” He shook him desperately, but it was to no avail. 

The Beast lay unmoving. 

Eggsy bent to press his forehead to the Beast’s. “You can’t die,” he repeated in a broken whisper. “I love you.” 

The final petal withered and died. The silver glow faded. All was still. 

And then all was still no longer. A ribbon of golden light snaked its way around the Beast. 

Eggsy opened his eyes as it wrapped around the beast, eyes wide and brow furrowed in confusion. 

When the golden light had truly surrounded the Beast, it carried him up into the air. It pulsed brighter and brighter until Eggsy was forced to shield his eyes and turn away. 

There was a final fantastic pulse of light, and then it faded altogether. 

Eggsy cracked open one eye. When he saw that the light had gone, he peeled both of them open. And froze instantly. 

A man stood in the corner, his back to Eggsy. He wore the same white shirt and tattered blue pants that the Beast had done, but how could that be? And where had the Beast gone? 

Slowly, the man turned to face Eggsy. 

Eggsy got to his feet. He peered closely at the man, at his face lined with wrinkles, at his long legs and large hands, at his hair that was the same brown as the Beast’s fur. Finally, he looked into his eyes, the same eyes that had peered back at Eggsy a thousand times from a far more monstrous face. “It’s you,” Eggsy breathed. 

“It’s me,” the man said in the Beast’s voice. 

“But… how…?” 

He smiled at Eggsy kindly. “You broke the spell. When you said you loved me.” 

Eggsy blushed. “I didn’t know you’d heard that.” 

He laughed lightly. “I did.” 

Eggsy drifted forward as if in a dream. He could barely believe that the man standing in front of him was the Beast he’d grown to love, but it seemed to be so. Eggsy took his face in his hands and peered more closely at him. “It really is you.” 

“It really is me,” the Beast assured him. He covered one of Eggsy’s hands with his own. 

Eggsy couldn’t resist any longer. He pulled the Beast to him and kissed him soundly on the mouth. 

Magic swept through the castle. It drove away the gloom that had covered it for so many years and let in the sun once more. Snow melted, and flowers overtook the garden, bathing it in a sea of colors. The once-menacing forest overflowed with life once more. Birds sang in the trees, insects chattered merrily to each other, squirrels skittered across the forest floor. 

The servants were gathered in the main entrance to the castle, having driven the last of the villagers away. They stood as no more than inanimate objects now, the candlestick, clock, teapot, and everything else no more than antiques. 

But the spell washed over them as well, stirring up what remained of their humanity. 

Michelle traded a handle and spout for frizzy blonde hair and bright eyes. A little girl sprang into her arms with a gap-toothed grin. “Oh, my sweet little Daisy,” Michelle sobbed, clutching her to her chest. “I thought I’d never hold you again.” 

Daisy shrieked with laughter as her mother peppered her with kisses. 

Merlin came back to himself with a full-body shudder and shook his head violently from side to side. He dug a finger in his ears in an attempt to dislodge a faint ticking. 

Lancelot’s hand landed on his shoulder. “Well now, old friend! That was certainly an adventure, wasn’t it?” He grinned from ear to ear, face and hands blackened with soot. 

“I need a new job,” Merlin muttered. 

~

Slowly, the story spread amongst the villagers. Memories of their king came back to them in patches. They remembered spectacular parties. They remembered the dark hair and eyes of the Enchantress as she had weaved her spell. They remembered King Harry Hart. 

It took some time for Lee to warm to Harry, but he tried for Eggsy’s sake. He declined their offer to live in the castle politely, but promised to visit often. 

Roxy, on the other hand, barely left the castle in the following weeks. She’d promoted herself to official wedding planner, and she and Eggsy were constantly talking over plans. 

When Harry had proposed to Eggsy, he had hardly been able to get the question out before Eggsy threw his arms around him with a delighted yes. 

The wedding was grander than any party that had come before it. The entire village was in attendance, as well as all the castle’s servants. Every inch of the grounds was covered in bows and streamers. Vases overflowed with colorful flowers and a sumptuous banquet was laid out over several tables. 

For all that, the ceremony was a simple one. Eggsy and Harry stood at the top of the castle stairs and pledged themselves to each other with sweet, short vows. They sealed their promises with a kiss. 

The villagers celebrated until long into the night. Many of them stayed over in the castle, and the festivities carried on through the next morning. But eventually, they had to return to their own homes. 

Harry mingled with the guests until the very end. He thanked all of them warmly for coming and sent them off with a bright smile. As soon as the last guest had departed, he went looking for Eggsy. He found him walking along the line of rosebushes that ran along the inside of the gate. 

Eggsy took Harry’s arm when it was offered with a soft smile. 

“So, husband,” Harry said, savoring the taste of the word on his tongue. “What should our first order of business be?” 

Eggsy pondered that for a moment. Then, his eyes sparked. “Does it have to be business?” he asked. 

Laughing, Harry shook his head. “Of course not. We are owed a honeymoon, after all.” 

Beaming, Eggsy took Harry’s hands in his. He led them up through the castle to the West Wing. “In case you’ve forgotten,” he said as they went, “you aren’t a beast anymore.” 

“I had managed to remember that,” Harry said dryly. 

Eggsy dragged him into the bedroom they now shared and led him straight to the podium. 

The Enchantress’ book still lay upon it, open to the map.

Nervous excitement ran through Eggsy as they stood in front of it, and he took Harry’s hand in his. “Then close your eyes,” he said quietly, pressing his palm flat to the pages. “And picture anywhere you want to go.” 

THE END

**Author's Note:**

> Right, yeah, the book idea from the new film? Fantastic. Exactly the sort of thing that fits Belle, who has spent her life wanting "adventure in the great wide somewhere." And what does Disney do with it? Bring it up once and then drop it from the film entirely and have her settle down into life at the castle. What. The. Fuck. 
> 
> Anyway, I think this was the ending Belle deserved, getting to live out her dreams and all. Hope you all enjoyed!


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